Numerous forms of electrically activated displays exist for utilization with various types of controls, appliances, instrumentation and the like. Similarly, many techniques and arrangements exist for mounting such displays in an operative position. Often the displays are contained in rectilinear packages which are disposed on or near a printed circuit board which contains appropriate control/drive circuitry.
One particular example involves a vacuum fluorescent display which is directly supported by a printed circuit board. Such displays are utilized frequently in various appliances for indicating time and other relevant variables. One arrangement for mounting such vacuum fluorescent displays to an associated printed circuit board has involved applying the display directly to the circuit board via an intermediate bonding agent, such as double-sided adhesive. Such arrangement, however, exhibits several limitations. For instance, the bonding of a display package to a printed circuit board with an adhesive requires two relatively uniform and smooth surfaces for engagement with the adhesive. Further, the longevity of the bond is only as good as the longevity of the adhesive. Further in this regard, such vacuum fluorescent displays typically have a large number of leads, i.e. 32, which extend from the display to the printed circuit board. These leads often are configured in a manner which results in a significant spring force being applied to the display in a direction tending either to cock or to dislodge the display from the printed circuit board.
Alternatively, the display may be mounted in a preformed rigid holder which is in turn secured to some mounting surface such as a printed circuit board or a housing. However, such holders typically must be sized and manufactured to accommodate a particular size of display element. This, however, may require maintaining a variety of sizes of display holders in inventory. Additionally, such holders may require close tolerances between the display element and the holder in order to provide a secure fit.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved display holder. Included within this object is the provision of a display holder which is particularly suited for securely mounting a display element such as a vacuum fluorescent display, to a rigid substrate such as a circuit board.
A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved display holder which is capable of accommodating display elements of different lengths and possessing relatively large tolerances in one or more of its other dimensions.